IFA 2015: DVDs to make comeback as Samsung reveal 4K plans

New high density DVDs and a player capable of displaying 4K movies unveiled by Samsung.

The discs look like a standard Blu-ray disc that have a capacity of 128 GB. The player supports the HEVC codec and dual band 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz Wi-Fi.

DVDs will make a comeback with Samsung announcing new high density DVDs and a player capable of displaying 4K movies.

The new format known as Ultra HD Blu-ray is probably the most significant development in DVD formats since Blu-ray itself.

Although 4K or ultrahigh definition TVs are becoming common, the problem has been distributing content as 4K movie file-sizes are too big for traditional Blu-ray disks.

Viewers have had to resort to using portable hard drives to get their hands on genuine 4K content.

That problem is solved today, with Samsung in Berlin announcing a new Ultra HD Blu-ray player that will play new UHD Blu-ray in what the company said was “a breakthrough in the world of at-home viewing”.

Samsung said the new player was also capable of upscaling traditional DVD and Blu-ray content to 4K quality.

The new player has been a long time coming. In January 2014, Samsung Australia vice-president for consumer electronics Philip Newton told The Australianthat Samsung already had technology in place to produce high-quality four-layer Bu-Ray disks for distributing 4K content.

The issue at that stage was developing a universally accepted industry-wide format for it.

Samsung plans to have the new Ultra_DVD players in retail shops early next year.

The South Korean electronics makers said it had forged a partnership with Twentieth Century Fox to distribute 4K movie content suitable for the new Samsung players.

The new format will also be capable of delivering high dynamic range quality media. It is understood Twentieth Century Fox has made a commitment to make future movies available in UHD with high dynamic range.

Samsung said it had been working with an alliance of industry players to develop the new ultrahigh density DVD format.

It’s not known however with the new format will see some DVD movie stores reopen their doors, but it might give a few remaining ones an extra lease of life.

Samsung said its player was designed to complement its existing TV SmartHub and multiform media delivery system. The new player is designed to fit snugly in front of a Samsung 4K TV without impeding the view.

Chris Griffith travelled to Berlin courtesy of Samsung